‘Scooby’ to ‘Hazel': TV’s untapped pic potential

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM here? In the past few years, Hollywood has discovered the bigscreen potential for old TV shows. The “Star Trek” movies brought this issue to the forefront, and it was confirmed with the huge openings of films like “The Addams Family” and “Wayne’s World.” Now, from the on-the-shelf “Car 54, Where Are You?” to the imminent “The Flintstones” to the just-announced “Sgt. Bilko,” there are 20 to 30 such projects planned.

A few dozen projects out of hundreds of possibilities? What is the holdup? It’s time to stop with the TV trickle: Studio exex should cancel everything else in development and concentrate on filming TV shows. Only when everything has been translated to the bigscreen does Hollywood need to fall back on other, less interesting fare like original scripts or adaptations of plays and novels.

TV is rich with possibilities, from all kinds of sources: imagine Louis Gossett Jr. in “Montel Williams — The Movie,” Linda Hunt in “My Little Margie,” or Shelley Winters in the thriller “I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up.”

Well, what are you waiting for? How many more ideas does Reel Life have to give you? Oh, all right, for those development exex who are stumped, here are some helpful hints to get you started. No, no, don’t thank us. Just send cash.

“I Dream of Jeannie”– Director Zalman King’s spicy exploration of the relationship between an astronaut and a voluptuous woman in harem pants who calls him “Master” and is eager to do his bidding. Starring Mickey Rourke, Kim Basinger.

“Victoria’s Oil”– Complex, fascinating medical drama about Victoria Jackson, who helps women who are despondent about their inability to find good makeup. Victoria: Connie Selleca.

“Scooby-Doo: The Motion Picture”– Spectacular, effects-laden adventure about a giant dog who solves a crime in a haunted house. Scooby-Doo: Dolph Lundgren.

“Taster’s Choice”– After about three years of 30-second foreplay, two neighbors (Rachel Ward, Sam Neill) finally get it on.

“Murder, She Wrote”– Shocking suspense pic about a detective (Tom Cruise) on the trail of a seemingly kind authoress (Angela Lansbury) who commits a ritual murder every week, and gets away with it by always pinning the blame on someone else.

“The Jeffersons”– Movin’ on up to the Eastside, with a few alterations made for the film, in the hopes of appealing to wider demographics. George Jefferson: Steve Martin. Weezie: Dianne Wiest. Florence: Lily Tomlin.

“The People’s Court”– Robert Altman ensemble piece, with more than 60 stars in cameos as themselves, acting out scenes from their various sexual harassment suits, contract disputes, custody proceedings and out-of-court settlements.